Technique for Providing Inter-Nodal Communications in a Photonics Network

1. A method for providing inter-nodal communications between network service personnel in a photonics network having a plurality of network nodes each having a unique network address, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal and at least one data transport optical signal at a first of the plurality of network nodes, the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal including a destination network address corresponding to a destination network node of the plurality of networks nodes, the destination network address being initially included at an originating network node of the plurality of network nodes for conducting inter-nodal communications from network service personnel physically located at the originating network node to network service personnel physically located at the destination network node; routing the at least one received data transport optical signal, via an optical switch in the first network node, to another of the plurality of network nodes without converting the at least one received data transport optical signal into an electrical format; forwarding the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal from the first network node to a second of the plurality of network nodes if the destination network address does not match the unique network address of the first network node, the forwarding of the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal being determined based upon a corresponding received dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal; and processing the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal at the first network node if the destination network address matches the unique network address of the first network node thereby identifying the first network node as the destination network node, the processing of the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal being determined based upon the corresponding received dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal, the processing of the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal including extracting any one of audio, video, and data information from the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal for conducting inter-nodal communications from network service personnel physically located at the originating network node to network service personnel physically located at the destination network node.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving a dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal at a first of the plurality of network nodes includes the step of: demultiplexing a multiplexed optical signal including the dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal and the at least one data transport optical signal.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the step of: converting the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal into the received dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 , further comprising the step of: directing the received dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal into at least one incoming IP packet buffer.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 , wherein the destination network address is an IP destination network address, wherein the step of forwarding the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal to a second of the plurality of network nodes includes the step of: routing the received dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal based upon the IP destination network address.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the step of processing the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal at the first network node includes the step of: formatting the extracted information into one of an audio, video, and data output format.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising the step of: receiving any one of audio, video, and data information in an electrical form.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 , further comprising the step of: formatting the received electrical information.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 , further comprising the step of: packetizing the formatted received electrical information into at least one electrical IP packet, each electrical IP packet having a respective IP destination network address.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 , further comprising the step of: routing each electrical IP packet based upon each respective IP destination network address.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 , further comprising the step of: converting each electrical IP packet into a converted dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 , further comprising the step of: multiplexing the converted dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal with other optical signals.

13. An apparatus for supporting inter-nodal communications between network service personnel in an optical network having a plurality of network nodes each having a unique network address, the apparatus comprising: an optical switch in a first of the plurality of network nodes for routing at least one data transport optical signal received at the first network node to another of the plurality of network nodes without converting the at least one received data transport optical signal into an electrical format; an optical-to-electrical converter in the first network node for converting a dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal received at the first network node into a received converted dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal, the received converted dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal including a destination network address corresponding to a destination network node of the plurality of networks nodes, the destination network address being initially included at an originating network node of the plurality of network nodes for conducting inter-nodal communications from network service personnel physically located at the originating network node to network service personnel physically located at the destination network node; an electrical router in the first network node for routing the received converted dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal based upon the destination network address; an extraction unit in the first network node for extracting any one of audio, video, and data information from the received converted dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal if the electrical router routes the received converted dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal to the extraction unit for processing in the first network node thereby identifying the first network node as the destination network node, the extracted information for conducting inter-nodal communications from network service personnel physically located at the originating network node to network service personnel physically located at the destination network node; and an electrical-to-optical converter in the first network node for converting the received converted dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal into a forwarded dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal if the electrical router routes the received converted dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal to the electrical-to-optical converter for forwarding the received converted dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal to another of the plurality of network nodes.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , further comprising: a demultiplexer for demultiplexing a multiplexed optical signals including the received dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal and the at least one received data transport optical signal.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , further comprising: an output adaptation unit for formatting the extracted information into one of an audio, video, and data output format.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , further comprising: an input adaptation unit for receiving any one of audio, video, and data information in an electrical form.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16 , further comprising: a packetization unit for packetizing the received electrical information into at least one packetized electrical signal, each packetized electrical signal having a respective IP destination network address.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17 , wherein the electrical router routes each packetized electrical signal based upon each respective IP destination network address.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 18 , further comprising: a plurality of IP packet buffers for storing each packetized electrical signal and the received converted dedicated inter-nodal communications electrical signal.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , further comprising: a multiplexer for multiplexing the forwarded dedicated inter-nodal communications optical signal with other optical signals.